EXCLUSIVE: Dolly Parton, 80, Prompts Fresh Health Fears After Brother Denver Dies
Dolly Parton prompted fresh health fears after her brother Denver died.
July 28 2026, Published 4:10 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton has sparked fresh concern after the death of her older brother Coy "Denver" Parton, who died aged 82, leaving the country music icon mourning another heartbreaking family loss.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Denver, a retired crane operator and farmer, passed away on July 23, according to an obituary published by Atchley Funeral Home in Sevierville, Tennessee.
Coy 'Denver' Parton passed away at age 82 in Sevierville, Tennessee.
No cause of death was disclosed.
He was one of 12 Parton siblings and is survived by daughters Chris Parton and Jennifer Parton, grandson Ian Parton and his fiancée Taylor York, brother Bobby Parton, sisters Willadeene Buzzeo, Dolly Parton, Stella Parton, Cassie Griffith, Freida Parton, Rachel George and Laura Price.
Denver was predeceased by his wife, Carolyn Parton.
Funeral arrangements will remain private, while Dolly has not yet commented publicly on her brother's death.
Fears For Star After Loss
Dolly Parton has not issued a public comment regarding her brother's passing.
A source close to Dolly, 80, said: "This has been an incredibly emotional period for Dolly. Losing another sibling is never easy, especially in such a close-knit family. Everyone around her is focused on giving her the time and privacy she needs to grieve."
The insider added: "People naturally worry whenever Dolly experiences a personal loss because they care so deeply about her. She remains remarkably resilient, but this is another painful chapter for someone who has always put family at the center of her life, and there are now serious fears this grief will prompt fresh health scares for her."
Denver largely stayed away from the spotlight despite his sister's worldwide fame, choosing a quieter life in Tennessee.
His obituary confirmed that friends could sign an online guest register, while services would be held privately for family members.
Growing Up With 11 Siblings
Family sources expressed concern over the emotional toll of the loss on Dolly.
The Parton family has endured several bereavements over the years.
Dolly has often spoken about the importance of her upbringing and the influence her brothers and sisters had on shaping her outlook on life, growing up in a large household in rural Tennessee.
Speaking to Hayley Williams from Paramore in an interview for Consequence in November 2023, Dolly reflected on the experience of being raised alongside 11 siblings.
She said: "Well, there's a whole lot of reasons for me being the way that I am. First of all, I grew up in a family of 12 kids.
"I got six brothers and I got my five sisters.
"So, I've had every personality around me. And I've often said I've got some of everybody in my own immediate family, and in my family of employees.
"I've got gays, I've got lesbians, I've got trans, I've got alcoholics, I've got drug addicts.
"I've got some of everybody in my own family, so I naturally love them, accept them.
"And I also have a spiritual background and think that it's not my place to judge. I'm not God.
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Dolly previously reflected on her large family's role in shaping her non-judgmental worldview.
"There is a God piece in all of us, and I try to find that in everybody – even the worst people, there's something good in there.
"Maybe they didn't get a chance to be it. I understand that people that hate so much usually are the people that have never been loved enough."
Parton has been at the center of fears for her health since the death of her husband, Carl Dean, who died on March 3, 2025, at the age of 82, in Nashville, Tennessee.
The couple was married for nearly 60 years, and he was remembered as an extremely private person who supported Parton's career from outside the spotlight.
